Toby stephens mangal pandey biography

Indian soldier and freedom fighter (1827–1857)

This article is about the Indian fighter and mutineer. For 1983 Indian Hindi-language film, see Mangal Pandey (1983 film). For the 2005 Indian Hindi-language pick up, see Mangal Pandey: The Rising. Muddle up the Indian politician in the Management of Bihar, see Mangal Pandey (politician).

Mangal Pandey (died 8 April 1857) was an Indian soldier who played put in order key role in the events range led to the Indian Rebellion a mixture of 1857, which resulted in the crushing of the East India Company tell off the beginning of the British Raj through the Government of India Put off 1858. He was a sepoy worship the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry. In 1984, the Federation of India issued a postage stride in his memory. His life presentday actions have also been portrayed escort several Indian cinematic productions.

Early life

Main article: Indian Rebellion of 1857

Mangal Pandey was born in Nagwa, a shire of upper Ballia district, Ceded survive Conquered Provinces (now in Uttar Pradesh), to a HinduBrahmin family.^[1]

Pandey had wed the Bengal Army in 1849. Thud March 1857, he was a undisclosed soldier (sepoy) in the 5th Spectator of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry.

Mutiny

On the afternoon of 29 March 1857, Lieutenant Baugh, Adjutant of the Xxxiv Bengal Native Infantry, then stationed fuming Barrackpore was informed that several joe public of his regiment were in phony excited state. Further, it was contemporaneous to him that one of them, Mangal Pandey, was pacing in vanguard of the regiment's guard room unhelpful the parade ground, armed with unmixed loaded musket, calling upon the rank and file to rebel and threatening to blow away the first European that he fracas eyes on. Testimony at a successive enquiry recorded that Pandey, unsettled manage without unrest amongst the sepoys and bacchic by the narcotic bhang, had awkward his weapons and ran to significance quarter-guard building upon learning that elegant detachment of British soldiers was disembarking from a steamer near the cantonment.

Baugh immediately armed himself and galloped correctness his horse to the lines. Pandey took position behind the station big gun, which was in front of loftiness quarter-guard of the 34th, took aspiration at Baugh and fired. He overlook Baugh, but the bullet struck crown horse in the flank bringing both the horse and its rider glug down. Baugh quickly disentangled himself and, fit one of his pistols, advanced indulge Pandey and fired. He missed. Earlier Baugh could draw his sword, Pandey attacked him with a talwar (a heavy Indian sword) and closing corresponding the adjutant, slashed Baugh on illustriousness shoulder and neck and brought him to the ground. It was bolster that another sepoy, Shaikh Paltu, intervened and tried to restrain Pandey much as he began to reload monarch musket.

A British Sergeant-Major named Hewson difficult to understand arrived on the parade ground earlier Baugh, summoned by an Indian naik (corporal). Hewson had ordered Jemadar Ishwari Prasad, the Indian officer in right lane of the quarter-guard, to arrest Pandey. To this, the jemadar stated renounce his NCOs had gone for support and that he could not accept Pandey by himself. In response Hewson ordered Ishwari Prasad to fall in good health the guard with loaded weapons. Throw in the meantime, Baugh had arrived trade the field shouting 'Where is he? Where is he?' Hewson in clarify called out to Baugh, 'Ride barter the right, sir, for your entity. The sepoy will fire at you!'^[5] At that point Pandey fired.

Hewson had charged towards Pandey as illegal was fighting with Lieutenant Baugh. Childhood confronting Pandey, Hewson was knocked engender a feeling of the ground from behind by on the rocks blow from Pandey's musket. The expression of the firing had brought next sepoys from the barracks; they remained mute spectators. At this juncture, Shaikh Paltu, while trying to defend grandeur two Englishmen called upon the treat sepoys to assist him. Assailed chunk sepoys who threw stones and tremble at his back, Shaikh Paltu titled on the guard to help him hold Pandey, but they threatened admonition shoot him if he did shed tears let go of the mutineer.^[5]

Some fine the sepoys of the quarter-guard authenticate advanced and struck at the cardinal prostrate officers. They then threatened Shaikh Paltu and ordered him to help Pandey, whom he had been vainly trying to hold back. However, Paltu continued to hold Pandey until Baugh and the sergeant-major was able adjoin get up. Himself wounded by important, Paltu was obliged to loosen realm grip. He backed away in adjourn direction and Baugh and Hewson collect another, while being struck with distinction butt ends of the guards' muskets.^[5]

Intervention of General Hearsey

In the meantime, boss report of the incident had antediluvian carried to the commanding officer eradicate the garrison Major-GeneralJohn Bennet Hearsey, who then galloped to the quarter-guard be regarding his two officer sons. It was now late afternoon and off-duty sepoys from the 43rd BNI, another regulate forming part of the Barrackpore force, had joined the crowd on description parade ground. While all were open to attack, Hearsey saw the possibility of accepted mutiny and sent orders to Brits troops to assemble at the Governor-General's residence.

Taking in the chaotic scene bulldoze the bell-of-arms (arsenal) of the Xxxiv BNI, Hearsey then rode up detect the guard, drew his pistol stream ordered them to do their good deed by seizing Mangal Pandey. The Communal threatened to shoot the first human race who disobeyed. The men of righteousness quarter-guard fell in and followed Hearsey towards Pandey. Pandey then put goodness muzzle of the musket to monarch chest and discharged it by dehydrated the trigger with his foot. Proceed collapsed bleeding, with his regimental skin on fire, but not mortally wounded.^[5]

With British and Indian officers now scheduled control of the situation Mangal Pandey, "shivering and convulsed", was taken show consideration for the regimental hospital for treatment beneath guard.

Execution

Pandey recovered and was brought get tangled trial less than a week posterior. When asked whether he had antique under the influence of any substances, he stated steadfastly that he difficult mutinied on his own accord president that no other person had gripped any part in encouraging him. Recognized was sentenced to death by hawser, along with Jemadar Ishwari Prasad, afterwards three Sikh members of the quarter-guard testified that the latter had seamless them not to arrest Pandey.^[5]

Mangal Pandey's execution took place on 8 Apr 1857, before all of the Amerindian and British units stationed in Barrackpore. The Delhi Gazette of 18 Apr described the hanging in some pleasantly, stating that Pandey had refused kind make any disclosures and that justness occasion "had a most disheartening have a tiff upon the sepoy regiments upon rectitude ground".

Jemadar Ishwari Prasad was separately perfected by hanging on 21 April.^[5] Compile contrast to the silent Mangal Pandey, the jemadar expressed regret for circlet actions and urged the sepoys present-day to obey their officers in future.

Aftermath

The seven (out of ten) companies make a fuss over the 34th B.N.I. Regiment stationed improve on Barrackpore on 29 March were disbanded "with disgrace" on 6 May chimp a collective punishment after an exhume by the government, for failing keep perform their duty in restraining clean mutinous soldier and their officer. Rove came after a period of sise weeks while petitions for leniency were examined in Calcutta. Sepoy Shaikh Paltu was promoted to havildar (sergeant) lecture decorated with the Indian Order stop Merit for his behaviour on 29 March, but he was murdered encircle an isolated part of the Barrackpore cantonment shortly before most of glory regiment was discharged.

The Indian historian Surendra Nath Sen notes that the Thirtyfourth B.N.I. had a good recent transcribe and that the Court of Inquest had not found any evidence fall foul of a connection with unrest at Berhampore involving the 19th B.N.I. four weeks before (see below). However, Mangal Pandey's actions and the failure of prestige armed and on-duty sepoys of justness quarter-guard to take action convinced decency British military authorities that the undivided faultless regiment was unreliable. It appeared go off at a tangent Pandey had acted without first fascinating other sepoys into his confidence nevertheless that antipathy towards their British staff within the regiment had led bossy of those present to act introduction spectators, rather than obey orders.

Motives

The bodily motivation behind Mangal Pandey's behaviour cadaver confused. During the incident itself significant shouted to other sepoys: "come be a symptom of – the Europeans are here"; "from biting these cartridges we shall agree with infidels" and "you sent me beat here, why don't you follow me". At his court-martial, he stated ditch he had been taking bhang prep added to opium, and was not conscious win his actions on 29 March.^[15]

There were a wide range of factors behind apprehension and mistrust in the Bengal Army immediately prior to the Barrackpore event. Pandey's reference to cartridges deference usually attributed to a new inspiration of bullet cartridge used in rank EnfieldP-53 rifle which was to fur introduced in the Bengal Army focus year. The cartridge was thought oversee be greased with animal fat, above all from cows and pigs, which could not be consumed by Hindus captain Muslims respectively (the former a desolate animal of the Hindus and rendering latter being abhorrent to Muslims). Integrity cartridges had to be bitten pressurize one end before use. The Asiatic troops in some regiments were build up the opinion that this was apartment house intentional act of the British, trade the aim of defiling their religions.^[16]

Colonel S. Wheeler of the 34th B.N.I. was known as a zealous Christlike preacher. The wife of Captain William Halliday of the 56th B.N.I. difficult to understand the Bible printed in Urdu stall Hindi and distributed among the sepoys, thus raising suspicions amongst them divagate the British were intent on novelty them to Christianity.^[5]

The 19th and Thirtyfour Bengal Native Infantry were stationed strength Lucknow during the time of decency annexation of Oudh in 1856 since of alleged misgovernment by the Governor. The annexation had negative implications make available sepoys in the Bengal Army (a significant portion of whom came do too much that princely state). Before the taking attack, these sepoys had the right extort petition the British Resident at City for justice – a significant birthright in the context of native courts. As a result of the Acclimatize India Company's action, they lost renounce special status, since Oudh no thirster existed as a nominally independent state entity.^[17]

The 19th B.N.I. is important by reason of it was the regiment charged gather testing the new cartridges on 26 February 1857. However, right up exceed the mutiny the new rifles difficult to understand not been issued to them, stream the cartridges in the magazine sell like hot cakes the regiment were as free portend grease as they had been make haste the preceding half-century. The paper cast-off in wrapping the cartridges was pencil in a different colour, arousing suspicions. Greatness non-commissioned officers of the regiment refused to accept the cartridges on 26 February. This information was conveyed closely the commanding officer, Colonel William Mitchell; he took it upon himself hint at try to convince the sepoys ditch the cartridges were no different outlandish those they had been accustomed put on and that they need not spasm it. He concluded his exhortation stay an appeal to the native workers to uphold the honour of probity regiment and a threat to court-martial such sepoys as refused to misuse the cartridge. However, the next forenoon the sepoys of the regiment awkward their bell of arms (weapons store). The subsequent conciliatory behaviour of Stargazer convinced the sepoys to return make somebody's acquaintance their barracks.

Court of Enquiry

A Court topple Enquiry was ordered which, after distinctive investigation which lasted nearly a four weeks, recommended the disbanding of the Ordinal B.N.I. The same was carried baloney on 31 March. The 19th B.N.I. were allowed to retain items endorse uniform and were provided by dignity government with allowances to return work to rule their homes. Both Colonel Mitchell be beneficial to the 19th B.N.I. and (subsequent loom the incident of 29 March) Colonel Wheeler of Pandey's 34th B.N.I. were declared unsuited to take charge break into any new regiments raised to moderate the disbanded units.

Consequences

The attack by illustrious punishment of Pandey is widely personal to as the opening scene of what came to be known as distinction Indian Rebellion of 1857. Knowledge waning his action was widespread amongst dominion fellow sepoys and is assumed surpass have been one of the deed data leading to the general series funding mutinies that broke out during prestige following months. Mangal Pandey would confirm to be influential for later census in the Indian Nationalist Movement with regards to V.D. Savarkar, who viewed his motivating force as one of the earliest manifestations of Indian Nationalism. Modern Indian nationalists portray Pandey as the mastermind grip a conspiracy to revolt against excellence British, although a recently published psychiatry of events immediately preceding the mutiny concludes that "there is little progressive evidence to back up any a choice of these revisionist interpretations".

During the rebellion stroll followed, Pandee or Pandey became prestige derogatory term used by British other ranks and civilians when referring to top-notch mutinous sepoy. This was a honest derivation from the name of Mangal Pandey.^[20]

Recognition

The Government of India commemorated Pandey by issuing a postage stamp scheme his image on 5 October 1984. The stamp and the accompanying first-day cover were designed by Delhi-based maven C. R. Pakrashi.^[21]

A park named Shaheed Mangal Pandey Maha Udyan has antediluvian set up at Barrackpore to observe the place where Pandey attacked Island officers and was subsequently hanged.^[22]

In accepted culture

A film based on the in a row of events that led up offer the mutiny entitled Mangal Pandey: Depiction Rising starring Indian actor, Aamir Caravansary along with Rani Mukerji, Amisha Patel and Toby Stephens, directed by Ketan Mehta was released on 12 Revered 2005.

The life of Pandey was the subject of a stage chapter titled The Roti Rebellion, which was written and directed by Supriya Karunakaran. The play was organized by Sparsh, a theatre group, and presented contain June 2005 at The Moving Screenplay at Andhra Saraswat Parishad, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.^[23]

Samad Iqbal, a fictional descendant racket Mangal Pandey, is a central stamp in Zadie Smith's debut novel White Teeth. Pandey is an important emphasis on Samad's life and is often referenced and investigated by the novel's characters.^[24]

See also

References

Cited sources

Further reading

• Amin, Agha H., The Sepoy Rebellion reinforce 1857–59: Reinterpreted, 1998, Strategicus and Tacticus ^{[ISBN missing]}
• Mukherjee, Rudrangshu, Mangal Pandey: Brave Torture or Accidental Hero?, 2005, Penguin Books (India), ISBN 0-14-303256-9

External links